


Quest of Fate

by oolongmilktea



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Royalty, BAMF OMEGAS, BAMF Oikawa, Blood and Violence, Bonding, Cultural Differences, Fantasy, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Verse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, low self-esteem iwa-chan, unconventional abo dynamics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-06-16 04:07:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15428664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oolongmilktea/pseuds/oolongmilktea
Summary: On the night of his 20th birthday, an omega saves Iwaizumi Hajime from assassination. When the clock struck twelve, the omega disappears into the night, leaving a dagger behind. As the only piece of evidence, Hajime uses the dagger to find the omega and ask for his hand in marriage. Unfortunately, the quest ends up becoming much more difficult than Hajime anticipated. It seems that fate has other plans.As it turns out, Hajime was actually proposing to the king of the hidden omega kingdom. A king who refuses to fall in love. Because love is for the weak. And Oikawa Tooru is, most definitely, not weak.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Anyone who came from tumblr and saw my original post, here is the first chapter!!! I'm so excited to share this story and I have lots of plans for the future chapters (especially after I read Captive Prince, h o l y s h i t, it gave me loads of ideas on where to take the story. P.S. I also know that I am late to the bandwagon but never been so grateful for C.S Pacat and her work)
> 
> For context, here is the original post of the early stages of my idea - http://chamilktea.tumblr.com/post/175304244632/haikyuu-fantasy-omegaverse-au-i-literally-have
> 
> Here is also a post explaining my ABO dynamics, which is pretty important to the story as it is somewhat unconventional - http://chamilktea.tumblr.com/post/175407218147/quest-of-fate-abo-dynamics

 

The spacious ballroom was filled with guests from all over the country, royals and nobles alike from neighbouring kingdoms had travelled long and far for the occasion. The finest performers were invited to provide impeccable entertainment and only the best catering was to be served. All of this extravagance had been arranged for the sole purpose of celebrating the alpha prince’s coming of age. The party alone, Hajime thought he could deal with. Unfortunately, celebrating his 20th birthday in the utmost luxury wasn’t the only thing his parents had intended for the night. Instead he was stuck on the dais greeting every royal and noble omega that had been invited…

 

…as potential candidates to be his bride.

 

All Hajime could think about is how suffocating the whole ordeal was. Introduction, after introduction, he mastered art of keeping the polite façade as he met all of the _strangers_ that could be his future mate. While he was fortunate enough to know that he would still have the power to choose, it was still part of his culture to _at least_ be wed at the ripe age of 21 – which meant that he had exactly 12 months from now to find someone that he wouldn’t mind spending the rest of his life with.

 

“Cheer up Hajime, you’re going to scare off all the lovely Omegas with a frown like that,” he heard his mother say from his right side.

 

“Good, it’ll teach them to be less fake,” he said gruffly, looking over to his mother in exhaustion. She sensed his damp mood and patted his cheek in comfort.

 

“You can’t judge a book by its cover, maybe you just need to get to know them,” she commented, causing Hajime to raise a brow at her. She sighed knowingly. “Well, okay. The last one was pretty fake, you could tell that her corset was stuffed with cloths but the one before her wasn’t that bad right?” His mother offered sheepishly.

 

Hajime was back to frowning upon remember the previous omega, who had worn an absurd amount of perfume and adamantly kept bending over in hopes that he would sneak a peek at her breasts. Or lack thereof, really.

 

“Look, I just think you need to deal with the situation with an open mind. You might find someone tonight that you may genuinely like. But you’re not going to be able to do that if you keep looking like _that_ ,” his mother chided, making Hajime flinch when her finger appeared right in front of his face.

 

“Sorry Mother,” Hajime apologized. His mother’s scolding expression softened as she took her son’s hand and enveloped it with her own.

 

“Hajime, I can understand that this custom is not something you agree with, but it is part of our culture. It is _tradition_ ,” his mother reminded gently. Her expression seemed apologetic since she knew his feelings on the matter. Hajime knew that she had once been one of the omegas currently queuing at the dais to meet the prince, who is now his father and king. Contrary to most of the omegas he has met tonight, his mother had been a reluctant candidate during her time. Luckily, his father is a kind and loyal man who had cherished her like the treasure she is, resulting in the beautiful and loving marriage that it is now.

 

Somehow that thought alone gave him hope. Again, as if someone had read his thoughts, he heard his father speak from his left. “Son, I know that in your eyes this party is unnecessary and in all honesty…I think so too,” his father stated honestly, his tone was humorous. A small grin cracked the frown on Hajime’s face. “Just know that all of this is just a formality for our allied kingdoms, you do not _have to_ find a candidate tonight.”

 

His mother nodded in agreement. “Yes, we will support whoever you choose as your future bride.”

 

“Even if it is the woman who stuffed her corset with cloths?” Hajime joked with a cheeky grin. He couldn’t resist snickering at the grimaces that donned on his parents’ face.

 

“ _That_ I will object to, but only because I know I raised you better than to choose that–” his mother changed to a whisper. “– _hussy_ ,” she finished, briefly looked around in caution. His father barked a laugh at the comment. His mother’s sheer honesty would always be a virtuous quality. Even if it was a little savage.

 

Hajime smiled genuinely for the first time that night. “Thank you, Mother, Father. I feel much better now,” he admitted. He finally felt the tension in his shoulders lighten, almost as if the person that put the most amount of pressure on him was himself. A part of Hajime had wanted to adhere to the tradition faithfully, since the act would make his parents proud of him, perhaps even the kingdom too.

 

“We will always be proud of you, Hajime,” his father stated confidently, placing a firm hand on Hajime’s shoulder. “Prince or not, you will always be our son and you will _always_ have a choice.”

 

It’s true. He did have a choice. His father had given it to him. If his grandfather had still been king, Hajime might have already been forced into an arranged marriage with some stranger. Once his father had taken over the throne, he swore to raise Hajime differently, to give him as much freedom of choice as the tradition would allow. While Hajime preferred to be freed from such a custom, to override an entire royal tradition upheld for hundreds of years in the Iwaizumi lineage was something that couldn’t be done in a matter of years.

 

But now, as an Alpha, Hajime had been given the _choice_ to propose courtship to anyone of his liking – an omega, if it were his mother’s preference. Like his father said, he wasn’t _required_ to find someone _tonight_. Hajime technically has 12 months to find someone. He was definitely certain that he was not pleased with any of the options presented to him tonight… _especially_ the stuffed-corset omega. While it might be a longshot, but Hajime could meet someone tomorrow, or a week after the party. Unfortunately, the words of his _extremely_ traditional grandparents had stuck with him much longer than he liked.

 

“Well, since we’ve greeted everyone, why don’t we mingle around?” Hajime’s mother suggested cheerfully. “I can already see your friends itching to talk to the birthday boy, Hajime,” she teased, nodding her head over to his two friends standing off to the side of the dais.

 

Hajime sighed in exasperation as he witnessed Bokuto attempting to contain his excitement and Kuroo next to him grinning cheekily. He knew that his friend was much too eager to get him intoxicated, due to Hajime finally being of age. “I’ll attend to them now, seeing as they’ve waited long enough,” he said to his mother with a fond smile.

 

“Make sure to not get too intoxicated, Hajime,” his father had a mischievous grin on his face. “Wouldn’t want you to make a fool of yourself in front of that stuffed-potato omega.” The joke caused his mother to slap her husband in the chest, although her hand covering her mouth didn’t do a very good job at stifling her giggles.

 

“My love, you are brutal,” his mother scolded, a hint of a smile still on her face. “There are ears all over this castle,” she reminded quietly.

 

The king only shook his head, waving off his comment. “Alright, alright. I will stop with the inappropriate comments,” he settled. They both turned back to Hajime, gesturing him to head over to his friends. “Have fun Hajime, I know you are the most at ease when you are with your friends. You should be allowed to celebrate.” And with that, Hajime was practically pushed over towards his friends. As his parents made their way to chat to other guests, he could vaguely hear his parents mentioning that he needed to loosen up, as they liked to word it.

 

Stepping off the dais, he grinned as Bokuto and Kuroo approached him. “Hey,” he greeted.

 

“Congratulations on your coming of age, Hajime-sama,” Kuroo congratulated with a small bow of his head. Bokuto followed his actions before unleashing a vibrant smile.

 

Hajime could feel his mood lift. “Thank you, Kuroo, Bokuto.”

 

“How do you feel? Are you excited to finally and _truly_ become an adult?” Bokuto asked enthusiastically, his posture remained regal, although his voice suggested otherwise.  

 

“Honestly? I only feel a year older. Although, finally being able to drink without any of my mother’s scolding does feel liberating,” Hajime replied, his grin turning cheeky.

 

“Probably best not to exceed your limit because you’ll be reprimanded by the captain instead,” Kuroo mentioned. “And I think we can all agree on who is the better option,” he shivered thinking about the captain’s angry expression.

 

Hajime perked up at the mention. “Speaking of the captain, where is he?”

 

Bokuto gestured towards the large wooden door at the entrance of the ballroom. “He’s currently on watch, but his post should rotate soon,” he explained casually. Then, a wide grin blossomed on Bokuto’s face. “ _In the meantime_ , why don’t we have a toast to commemorate your coming of age, Hajime-sama?” He waved at the servant, who was currently serving drinks, to come over. For some reason, to Hajime, the servant looked familiar. After Bokuto handed him and Kuroo a goblet of wine, he raised his own in the air.

 

“To your 20th birthday, Hajime-sama,” Bokuto started. “May you enjoy the pressures of adulthood.” The joke ended with the three Alphas snickering and clinking their goblets together. A couple of gulps later, Kuroo started up the conversation again.

 

“ _So_ , has anyone caught your fancy this evening?” he asked not-so-innocently, a small nudge to the prince’s side. Hajime knew that Kuroo was relishing his misery in being forced into the royal customs. Some friend he was. Had it not been for their history together, as the crown prince, Hajime could easily have Kuroo thrown into the dungeons with a wave of his hand.

 

The three of them had met when they were 13. Kuroo Tetsurou and Bokuto Koutarou were sons of two exceptional royal warriors during his grandfather’s reign. While initially, they had been Hajime’s assigned sparring partners, their acquaintance from their sparring sessions gradually blossomed into friendship. At that time, Hajime didn’t interact with many others around his age aside from the current captain of his guard and his cousin.

 

“I saw that you were quite captivated by that omega who stuffed her chest like a baked potato,” Bokuto teased, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Hajime’s mind was again intruded by images of the shameless omega who he had the _displeasure_ of meeting.

 

“Please do not remind me of her. Let’s just say that there are _much_ more pleasant faces around tonight,” Hajime drawled, taking a large gulp of wine. He briefly scanned the ballroom, spotting some of the omega candidates chatting to other guests. Most of them had been pleasant during their greetings, regal, elegant and most importantly, _modest_.

 

“But none of which you want to put a ring on and be bound to them for life, right?” Kuroo pointed out.

 

Hajime sighed. “You both know how I feel about this custom,” he said.

 

“Are you still infatuated with that omega you met a decade ago?” Bokuto asked bluntly. Hajime was thankful that he hadn’t been sipping his wine at the question, as he would have definitely spat it out in surprise. Instead he sputtered unlike the regal prince he was supposed to be.  

 

“W-what?” Hajime stuttered in panic. Kuroo elbowed Bokuto’s side, glaring at him in warning. The alpha let out a cry of pain, rubbing his side and returning a glare back at his friend.

 

“It was an honest question,” Bokuto defended. Hajime recovered from his sputter and waved it off, making Kuroo’s glare recede from his face.

 

“It’s fine. I just…didn’t expect that to come my way,” Hajime coughed out. He really didn’t. It wasn’t because he hadn’t thought about the cute omega, as Bokuto dubbed them. In fact, Hajime thought of that omega a little _too_ often.

 

It had been his 10th birthday, the celebration was held in the castle’s garden. At the time, Hajime had slipped away from the party, venturing deeper into the garden until he met the isolated field of sunflowers. He had never been fond of crowds and he never understood as to why his parents had always invited large groups of people for his birthday celebrations. All Hajime ever wanted was to spend the day with those who mattered to him. As a young child at the time, it was much harder to understand what was expected of him, the prince.

 

The sunflowers had always brightened his mood. Every time he felt lonely, he had always went to the gardens for a walk, basking in the bright colours of the flowers. When he had reached the sunflowers, a scent of jasmine and honeysuckle permeated through his senses. There had been a beautiful omega with soft-brown coloured hair wearing a white kimono, sitting on the ground between two large sunflower stems. It had been the first time Hajime met an omega that wasn’t either his mother or castle servants.

 

The omega had been crying, fat tears dripping down his face and snot coming out of his nose. Others would have turned away, judging the omega for being so ungraceful and a victim to their emotions. Not Hajime. He couldn’t look away. The only thing that he felt right at that moment was to make the omega stop crying.

 

_“Why are you crying?” Hajime asked, walking over to the omega. The other snapped his head upwards, quickly wiping away his tears and snot with his sleeve._

 

_“I’m not crying,” the omega shot back petulantly. “I’ve just got something in my eye,” he defended, averting his gaze to the ground._

 

_Hajime saw right through the lie, making him wonder what the reason behind the omega’s tears was. He crouched down, taking out a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to the other boy. “Here,” he said. “You can use this.”_

 

_The other omega looked at the cloth and hesitated. The tears had stopped but his eyes were red and puffy. There was still some wetness underneath the boy’s eyes that hadn’t been wiped away by his kimono sleeve earlier. When a minute of silence had passed, Hajime took matters into his own hands. Cupping the omega’s cheek with one hand, Hajime wiped a bit of the wetness before the other boy jerked away from him._

 

_“W-what are you d-doing?” the omega screeched, eyes wide, nostrils flared. Hajime was taken back at the loud outburst._

 

_He frowned at the other’s antics. This omega was a bit dramatic…unfortunately that didn’t make him any less beautiful. “Wiping your face,” Hajime stated._

 

_The omega looked at him apprehensively. “Why?” he asked softly._

 

_Hajime felt his expression relax at the vulnerability that laced the question. There was something about this omega that made Hajime want to protect him. To hug him and say that everything was going to be okay, even though Hajime didn’t know the cause of his sadness._

 

_“I just wanted to,” Hajime confessed._

 

_The omega’s eyes widened momentarily. His expression hardened, brows furrowed and pout at full force. “I don’t need you to take care of me, I can take care of myself,” the brunette barked._

 

_“I know. But I still wanted to do it,” the prince stated earnestly._

 

_“Oh.”_

 

_There was a pause._

 

_“So…”_

 

_“So?”_

 

_Hajime bit his lip, nerves slowly working its way to his confidence. “So…may I?” he asked._

 

_The omega looked off to the side again, this time, looking contemplative. Hajime assumed that the other boy was most likely thinking about letting a stranger wipe his face. Just as he was about to move away, the omega leaned over towards Hajime. His head was angled slightly upwards, eyes looking into Hajime’s expectantly. The prince assumed that this was his permission to continue his earlier actions. Cupping the omega’s face again, Hajime gently wiped away the wetness under the boy’s eyes and the snot from his nose. Surprisingly the omega hadn’t pulled his face away this time, rather Hajime felt the tiniest bit of pressure on the palm of his hand._

 

_“There you go,” Hajime said softly. Pulling away from the other, he folded the handkerchief into a smaller square, then held it out to the omega. “You can have it,” he said._

 

_The omega was surprised. “What, but it’s yours,” he replied._

 

_Hajime shook his head. “Take it. I have plenty.”_

 

_Then again, as taken as Hajime was with the other omega, keeping a handkerchief with the other’s snot and tears was just gross. And he really did have many of the same handkerchief, giving one away wouldn’t really put a ditch into his stash._

 

_The omega timidly took the handkerchief, feeling the smooth rim between his fingertips. “Thank you,” he whispered._

 

_A small smile bloomed on the omega’s face as he stared at the cloth. It was timid, but nonetheless beautiful._

 

_Beautiful. That was the only word that kept crossing Hajime’s mind about the omega, despite the earlier outburst._

 

_Hajime felt his face warm up. “Y-you’re welcome,” he stuttered._

 

_He didn’t realise that he looked away until he heard the rustling of clothes from his right. Snapping his gaze back to the omega, he saw that he was now standing upright, still holding the handkerchief in his hands. Hajime hurriedly stood up to his full height, noticing that the omega was a little shorter than him._

 

_“I should probably go now,” the omega stated, his voice laced with disappointment. “My parents are probably looking for me,” he explained._

 

_Hajime nodded slowly, upset that the other boy had to leave. Although, truthfully, he also needed to go back to his birthday party. He was sure that his parents must be panicking since they had most likely discovered that he was missing. “I understand,” Hajime managed, averting his gaze towards the ground._

 

_He then felt something pressed against his cheeks for a brief moment. Widening his eyes in surprise, Hajime took a minute to let it sink in. By the time he looked back up, the omega was already a considerable distance away from him._

 

_“Wait!” Hajime called out._

 

_The omega looked over his shoulder, cocking his head to side in question. “Yes?”_

 

_“Will I see you again?” The Alpha prince asked._

 

_“Maybe,” the omega replied shyly. He gave Hajime one last smile before breaking into a run, presumably back to where he came from._

 

_Beautiful._

 

The smell of jasmine and honeysuckle still lingered in both his senses and mind. The sweet, fresh scent was that all Hajime could think about since that day. Even now, he still couldn’t forget it.

 

“-me-sama.”

 

Hajime could still remember the soft brown locks that framed the omega’s face.

 

“-jime-sama.”

 

The large, doe-like brown eyes that gazed up at him.

 

“Hajime-sama.”

 

His pink, pouty lips that were unbelievably soft against his cheek.

 

“Hajime-sama!”

 

The prince snapped out of his stupor. Once his vision refocused, he was faced with Kuroo, Bokuto and now, Sawamura Daichi, the captain of the prince's guard. The three of them looked at him incredulously.

 

“Are you alright?” Daichi asked. Hajime couldn’t register the question immediately. His thoughts still in a haze from vividly remembering the past. There was a small pause between all of them until Bokuto gasped loudly.

 

“You were thinking about that omega, weren’t you?” he asked with conviction. Kuroo and Daichi groaned in unison.

 

“Of course,” Daichi scoffed jokingly.

 

“Wow, another year older and _nothing_ has changed,” Kuroo teased, a mischievous grin donning his face. “You got it _bad_ ,” he sang.

 

Hajime scrunched his face, clearly a tad bit irritated that he completely blanked out in his own thoughts in front of his friends. Who are _definitely_ not going to let him live it down. Unfortunately, there really was nothing Hajime could retort back that would save his image. He could only hope that his expression wasn’t anything embarrassing, much like that time where he was caught drooling in the midst of daydreaming about lunch.

 

“I suppose you’re right,” Hajime sighed. He was also starting to think that opening up to his closest friends hadn’t been one of his smarter decisions.

 

More importantly, had Hajime known what was expected of him by his 21st birthday, he would have immediately offered courtship to that omega. Much to his dismay, he had forgotten to ask for the other’s name. That should’ve been the first thing he should’ve done. Hajime had visited the same spot every year on his birthday, hoping that they would meet again. Sadly, they never did.

 

Eventually, Hajime had lost hope in meeting the omega again. He wasn’t sure if he could even recognise the omega at a distance, on the off chance that they did ever meet again. All he had was the scent that had been embedded into his memory.

 

Then, a sudden realization hit him. The omega must have been of royal or noble blood since he had been in the castle that day. Hajime was certain that the boy couldn’t have been a servant since he had looked way too young, which mean that he could’ve been the child of a noble or royal visiting the castle for Hajime’s birthday. The kimono that the omega had been wearing looked like it was made out of the finest silk, an entity that commoners would surely not have been able to afford.

 

“He could be here,” he muttered.

 

Kuroo raised his brows. “What do you mean?” he asked Hajime. Bokuto and Daichi looked slightly confused.

 

“I mean, he could have been invited to this party,” Hajime stated with more confidence. Adrenaline was surging through his being at the prospect of possibly meeting the omega again. “I need to go,” he stated hurriedly. Before Hajime was able to make a run for it, Kuroo grasped his shoulder, rooting him into his spot.

 

“No, you don’t,” Kuroo stated firmly. His face was stern. “Hajime-sama, this is not a fairy tale. The chances of you meeting that omega _here_ are extremely unlikely.”

 

Hajime shook his head. “You don’t know that,” he retorted.

 

Kuroo was right. The odds were extremely unlikely, except there was no way of proving it without actually trying to find out. Hajime often considered himself to be a rational thinker, sometimes dubbed as a pessimist by his close friends. However, for some reason, he was taken over by this desire to find the omega and immediately make him his bride. It was as if his inner Alpha had taken over his thoughts, consuming him with the primal urge to chase and claim that omega. He was losing himself just over the _thought_ of having that omega for himself.

 

“You don’t even know this omega’s name,” Kuroo shot back.

 

“I can tell by his scent,” Hajime retorted.

 

“A scent that you haven’t smelt in 10 years,” Daichi intervened. “There’s even a possibility that his scent might have changed after his first heat,” he reminded.

 

“That’s true…” the prince muttered. His confidence in the theory was starting to thin out as quickly as it emerged. Not once had he thought of that factor and yet, the Alpha in him didn’t want to give up so easily. “But I’ve got to try.”

 

“Hajime-sama, only royal and noble omega candidates received an invitation for tonight’s festivities,” Daichi reminded.

 

“That’s precisely it. He had to have been a royal or noble,” the prince insisted. “That’s the only way that could explain the extravagance of his kimono and his presence at the castle!” With his new-found determination, Hajime put his glass down onto a nearby table and quickly scanned the room for his parents, spotting them talking to a different pair of guests. “I’m going to the sunflower field. Daichi, tell my parents that I’ll be there if they need me,” Hajime stated hastily, ready to take off at any moment.

 

“Hajime-sama, you do this every year. What makes you think that this year will be any different?” Daichi looked apprehensive. Hajime couldn’t be angry at his concern. After all, the man had been assigned as Hajime’s personal guard since they were 7 years old, it was expected that he would have grown to be very protective of the prince’s well-being.

 

“Captain has a point. Only the unmated and unmarried royal and noble omegas have been invited tonight as bridal candidates,” Bokuto mentioned, breaking his silence. “What if this person was already married or mated by now?”

 

The implication of the question was both earnest and brutal. A growl darted out of Hajime’s throat abruptly, startling the other Alphas. Without a moment’s notice Hajime bared his fangs, face scrunched into a snarl when the thought of another Alpha touching _his_ omega arises in his mind.

 

Except, the truth was, the omega wasn’t his.

 

Had never been.

 

And yet, Hajime couldn’t accept that possibility. Or at least, his primal side, since the rational side of his mind would have been made him wallow in self-pity had it been more dominant. Once he felt the flexing of his facial muscles, Hajime schooled his features to his regular expression, concealing his fangs. If he had startled some guests, it would surely end up in an uproar from his mother.

 

“I know you don’t like the thought Hajime-sama, but isn’t that a valid assumption?” Bokuto offered solemnly. “You haven’t seen this omega for 10 years. For all you know, he could’ve moved on or have started a family. Maybe it’s time to let it go and move on.”

 

Bokuto was the kind of person who will support any of his friends 110% in quests like this. The only time he attempts to talk someone out of something is only when he truly believed that it won’t work out. While the man was known for his impulsive nature, he isn’t stupid. Everything that Hajime’s friends had mentioned was a possibility.

 

That’s all it was. A possibility.

 

As though his mind was read, Daichi’s voice rang through his ears. “Go.”

 

“What?” All of the Alphas looked at Daichi in surprise. Hajime was stunned.

 

The captain sighed in defeat. “Go to the sunflower field. I’ll distract your parents.”

 

It was what he said every year on Hajime’s birthday. And every time Hajime would sprint – or briskly walked as he got older – out of the castle and straight into the gardens without another word. This time, a genuine and grateful smile was aimed at Daichi’s way.

 

“Thank you, Daichi,” the prince said in gratitude. “And I don’t just mean for tonight. For all of the other times too.”

 

Daichi smiled. “Of course.” Then his expression turned grim. “But understand that this will be the last time,” he warned. “You do know what is expected of you after this, right?”

 

Hajime nodded. “I understand.” With that, he discreetly made his way to the servants’ passage to exit the ballroom.

 

“How romantic would it be if the omega was there? Hajime-sama could propose to him right there and then it’ll be a happily ever after!” Hajime heard Bokuto gush at a distance.

 

The last time.

 

His last chance.

 

It was both terrifying and exciting. Deep down, Hajime had a gut feeling that tonight might be the night. But fate may prove to have other plans.

 

❀❀❀

 

The gardens looked different in the evening.

 

Contrary to the vibrant colours of the flowers during the day, the soft light from the lantern posts cascading on the greenery created a romantic ambience.

 

Quite perfect to propose to someone, Hajime thought to himself. Strolling down the path that he knew too well, he came by the sunflowers shortly. At the clearing, there was no one to be immediately seen. Hajime scanned the area, this proved to be a bit more difficult as the lantern posts didn’t venture further than the entrance to the sunflower field. Initially he was only able to smell the sunflowers, until the familiar scent of jasmine and honeysuckle suddenly took over.

 

It had almost felt euphoric. A satisfied growl escaped his mouth.

 

How _long_ had he waited to breathe that scent again.

 

Hajime heard slow footsteps behind him. A smile grew on his face. “I’m glad that you’re here, I’ve been dreaming for this day to come,” he said. “Ever since that day, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

 

The omega didn’t say anything, although his steps sounded like they were getting closer.

 

“All I wanted was to see you again,” he continued. Finally gathering the courage to face the omega, Hajime turned.

 

A dagger lunged at his direction. Being a trained warrior, his reflexes jerked his body backwards in a flawless dodge, saving himself from injury. The figure in front him was cloaked in black from head to toe and wasted no time in lunging back at the prince. Hajime side stepped, twisting his body to the left so he could strike the attacker in the jaw. The cloaked figure stumbled slightly at the impact.

 

Whoever this person was, they were extremely sloppy in combat, which made the situation seem much more suspicious. Hajime would’ve thought that if someone had sent an assassin for him, it would’ve at least been one of skill. Alternatively, it might be anyone who had a reason to either hate him or the royal family.  

 

“Who are you?” Hajime asked demandingly, already in defence position. The cloaked figure was still silent. The hood made it impossible for Hajime to even catch a small glimpse of the other’s face.

 

“Who are you?” he angrily repeated, patience wearing thin. In a split second the cloaked figure held up their empty hand and Hajime felt himself lift off the ground.

 

 _Magic wielder._ This explained the sloppiness earlier.

 

Knowing better than to thrash in the air, Hajime quickly thought of a plan. Just as he remembered the small dagger hidden in his boot, the cloaked figure made a swiping motion of their hand, sending Hajime hurling into the sunflower fields. His body rolled across the expanse of the field from the momentum of the force. Hajime recovered as quickly as he could, grabbing the dagger from his boot and springing to his feet.

 

The cloaked figure was walking leisurely on the path Hajime made with his body. Hajime tried to fling the dagger as a distraction, planning to knock out the attacker completely this time if he had been swift enough. Except, his body wouldn’t obey him. It came to a halt, his arm raised mid-air, dagger in hand. He was rooted into the ground. The attacker was now right in front of him, arm stretched out, hand flexed. Even at this distance, Hajime could only see the lower half of the attacker’s face.

 

He felt his stomach drop when the smell of jasmine and honeysuckle engulfed him. What once was soothing, was now nauseating. Hajime almost couldn’t believe that this was happening. What was supposed to be a romantic reunion was turning into his doom.

 

“Who are you?” Hajime hissed.

 

A feral smile slowly blossomed onto the attacker’s face. Their mouth opened to say something. But what came out was a scream of pain. Hajime was taken back at the sudden outburst. He noticed the arrow that had pierced through their shoulder, blood dripping from the spearhead. Hajime felt magical hold release his body. Stumbling backwards, his arm flopped to the side. The attacker fell to their knees and that was when Hajime saw an approaching figure, holding a bow and arrow. They had the arrow loaded into the bow, hand on the bow string, stretched backwards, ready to fire at any given moment.

 

“Your majesty! Stand back!” the figure yelled.

 

It was a man’s voice.

 

As the archer moved closer, Hajime recognised him. It was the servant from earlier who served the goblets of wine. But yet, there was still something else to this man that seemed so familiar.

 

The cloaked figure growled, whirling from their position on the ground to turn towards the archer. Hajime took the chance to lunge at the attacker to bludgeon them in the head with the back of his dagger. Except the servant was much faster and shot another arrow through the attacker’s stomach before Hajime could even take a step. The servant put away his bow and took out a dagger from the holster on his hip, walking over to the attacker that was lying on the ground, heaving. The hood had fallen off, it wasn’t someone Hajime recognised. In fact, he found it hard to believe whether this person was even a person. He had never seen someone with eyes that were completely black.

 

The servant raised his hand, ready to plunge the dagger. That was when Hajime remembered his ability to speak. “Wait!”

 

The servant ignored his plea and plunged the arrow right into the attacker’s heart, causing the body to completely burst into black dust. The Alpha gaped at the sight in front of him.

 

What in the world, Hajime thought.

 

“Tsk,” the servant hissed. “Another one of these vile creatures.”

 

The prince stared in awe at the servant in front of him. Still in disbelief from the events of the night. “Who are you?” he asked.

 

The other man faced him, giving the Alpha a good view of his face.

 

Soft-brown hair.

 

Doe-like eyes.

 

Pouty lips.

 

Hajime’s eyes widened in realization. “You,” he breathed.

 

The man smiled. “We meet again,” he simply said.

 

A loud chime from the castle’s clock tower rang loudly as it struck midnight. The omega glanced at it in panic. “I have to go,” he stated hurriedly, already turning to run where he came from.

 

Hajime seized his wrist. “Wait!”

 

The omega turned to him. “No, I have to go,” he repeated, pull his wrist out of Hajime’s grip.

 

“I’ve been dreaming for the moment we meet again, I’m not letting you go this time,” the Alpha claimed in determination. Adrenaline and a surge of confidence kicking in, he dropped the dagger in his hand and abruptly grasped the omega’s face in his hands, kissing him passionately. The omega gasped in surprise. Dropping his own dagger, he wrapped his arms around Hajime’s shoulders, melting into the kiss. While this had not been the way Hajime imagined their reunion, it was still much better than not meeting at all.

 

The omega pulled away suddenly, pushing Hajime away, his face in slight panic. “I can’t do this right now, I really have to go,” he stated, breaking into a sprint through the sunflower field.

 

Hajime attempted to go after the other man but halted when he suddenly felt exhaustion wash over him. He was completely fine a moment ago, it was as though the fatigue suddenly decided to have effect on him. He felt himself slowly losing consciousness, before he collapsed, Hajime saw a blurry image across the sky and heard Daichi’s voice echoing near him.

 

Then everything faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone supporting this fic! Means a lot to me as I've got big plans so I really appreciate everyone who has taken an interest in this story! <3
> 
> There's a huge heart to heart with Hajime and Daichi in this chapter for all you IwaDai fans out there~ There's also a KuroDai easter egg (even though Easter was a long time ago) if you can spot it ;)

 

Hajime woke up to the sight of his chamber’s ceiling. His vision took a while to focus. Blinking sleepily, he slowly lifted himself into a sitting position. He heard the door open, revealing Daichi looking at him in relief.

“Good morning,” he greeted with a comforting smile. Coming in fully into the room, he shut the door behind him, making his way over to sit in the chair beside Hajime’s bed.  

“How are you feeling?” Daichi asked.

Hajime looked at him, dazed. “Exhausted.”

Daichi nodded solemnly. The atmosphere was serious. It was like neither of them wanted to address the elephant in the room…except, Hajime didn’t know what it was.

“How about I start?” The captain suggested. All the prince could do was nod, taking a while to get to an alert state. “I found you lying on the ground in front of the sunflowers…asleep.”

That was when it all came back to Hajime. The attacker, the magic-wielding and the servant, who actually was the omega he had been hoping to meet again for a decade. It all came like a tidal wave, hitting him so hard that it gave him a headache. He suddenly felt awake. He needed to tell Daichi about what happened – especially because the captain had found him on the ground bruised and unconscious.

He didn’t even realise that he had looked down until Hajime snapped his gaze to look at Daichi. As he had been about to inform Daichi of last night’s events, he was cut off.

“He didn’t come did he?” the captain asked abruptly.

“What?” Hajime was confused. As far as he was concerned, he most _certainly_ had met the omega again. _Kissed_ him too.

Daichi frowned at him. “Well, he didn’t show up, right? Isn’t that how you fell asleep in front of the fields waiting for him?”

Now, Hajime was _extremely_ confused.

“No,” The prince said slowly. “That’s not what happe–”

“It’s alright.”

“What is?” Hajime asked, taken back. If Daichi had found him in the sunflowers, it would most definitely be within the tall stems not in front of the field. Hajime was also surprised as to why Daichi hadn’t even brought up his bruises or the long path that had been cleared into the sunflower field.

Wait a minute. _Unless_ …

“You don’t have to admit it,” Daichi continued. “I know that it’s unfortunate bu–Hajime-sama what are you doing?” His eyes trailing the prince.

Hajime had gotten out of his bed and rushed over to the large window, pulling the curtains wide open. From his chambers, the sunflowers were visible at a distance and unlike the night before, it was in _impeccable_ condition. All of last night’s destruction seemed to have disappeared without a trace. It was as if nothing happened.

Strange.

It was the only word that came to Hajime. The whole situation was just _strange._ How was the sunflower field able to fix itself?

“Daichi, did the gardeners fix the sunflower field this morning?” Hajime asked, turning around to face the captain. He already knew the answer and Daichi’s puzzled expression was the confirmation he needed.

“Is there something wrong with them? They had already tended to it the day before yesterday.” The captain frowned slightly.  “I can notify the head gardener when I go for my rounds–”

“No. It’s fine,” Hajime interrupted. He had to tell Daichi. Now. “There is something about last night that I need to tell you,” he stated seriously. Closing back the curtains, he turned to face Daichi, pursing his lips briefly in hesitance.

The Alpha captain’s brows were furrowed, eyes sharp, lips into a thin line. “What happened?”

Hajime proceeded to tell Daichi about the events of last night in detail. The captain listened quietly and attentively, digesting all of the information. By the end of it, there was a long pause. The atmosphere was tense.

“I had a feeling something was going to happen last night,” Daichi started quietly. The stern expression didn’t leave his face, in fact, Hajime felt that his retelling of the night before seemed to have put more creases into the captain’s face.

“What do you mean?” Hajime asked.

The captain sighed heavily, shoulders slouched, body forward, elbows leaning against his knees, hands tightly clasped together. “Sometimes, I get these feelings. Like…I can sense something will go wrong and straight after that, I have this sudden urge to prevent such a thing from happening,” Daichi revealed.

“You mean intuition?” Hajime suggested.

The captain shook his head. “No. It’s…stronger than that.”

“In what way?”

“It’s ma–” Daichi stopped himself immediately. His eyes were wide in panic, and so was his expression. “Never mind.” He looked away.

“What? What is it?” Hajime could sense that Daichi had been about to reveal something important. Something that he shouldn’t say. A secret.

The captain looked torn. Debating on whether to reveal the information to the prince or not. Despite their actual statuses in the castle, Hajime and Daichi had grown up together. They had met at the age of 9 and quickly became the best of friends. Given their history, Hajime felt that there was no need for Daichi to panic, and he was certainly not one to gossip.  Daichi could tell him anything. Should be able to tell him anything.

“Daichi, you can tell me,” The prince said gently.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Hajime-sama,” Daichi said.

“Then what is the reason?”

“This castle has ears.”

Which meant that whatever Daichi had been about to reveal was something he didn’t want _anyone_ to know. Something that might put him in danger. A threat, perhaps?

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter. There is something more important to discuss.” The captain’s tone was guarded. Signalling that it was the end of that topic. Hajime, however, was not ready to let it go.

“Will you ever tell me?” Hajime prodded. Daichi looked at him in bewilderment.

“Hajime-sama, someone tried to murder you last night, can we please talk about that?” A diversion. It was something Daichi did often when he didn’t want the attention on him.

“Answer the question.”

Daichi his lip. “Not here. I will tell you…when the time comes.”

“Alright.”

There were multiple things that needed to be discussed. Hajime felt that Daichi’s reaction had been odd, maybe even a little calculated. As though the situation last night had not come as a shock. While he wanted nothing more to push for more information, he knew that Daichi would cave in eventually. They couldn’t keep secrets from each other for long. But for now, Hajime will have to wait.

It was some moments until Daichi brought up a new topic. He pulled the small drawer open on Hajime’s bedside table, taking out an object that was wrapped in cloth. Closing the drawer, he offered the object to Hajime, who was now sitting on his bed.

“I found this beside you at the sunflowers,” he said, unwrapping the cloth. Hajime stared at the dagger, noticing – what appeared to be – some sort of crest at the pommel. There were more intricate engravings on the guard. They were all unfamiliar, moreover, the dagger seemed to have remarkable quality. No scratches, no signs of wear and tear on the weapon were present.

Hajime’s thoughts then went back to what Daichi had said. His eyes widened in realization. “This dagger was the omega’s,” he said.

“The one from last night?” Daichi asked. Hajime nodded in confirmation. Taking the dagger from Daichi’s hand, he looked at the crest carefully on the pommel. Studying it.

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you. I should’ve accompanied you.”

Guilt. That was all Hajime could feel from Daichi’s words. Looking up from the dagger, he saw Daichi’s troubled expression. It was a look that he was used to seeing. The man had always been hard on himself, his own worst critic, always striving to be the pillar of support. Often, forgetting to lean on someone when he needed help. Unfortunately, that was a trait they both shared.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Hajime immediately retorted. Daichi immediately stood up to pace.

“Of course, it is. I am responsible for _your_ safety,” the captain argued.

“You’re in charge of _everyone’s_ safety. What if the danger had been on everyone in that ballroom?” This made Daichi pause. No longer wanting to meet the prince’s gaze, he turned away.

“That’s not the point. Everyone was safe, but you _weren’t_.” There had been a slight crack to the captain’s voice. “…And there was nothing I could’ve done.” The last part had been whispered.

Hajime finally realised the weight of the other man’s guilt. He had only focused on the positives and not once thought about what if the omega had not been there to save him. He had forgotten that Daichi didn’t see him as the prince…he saw Hajime as his best friend. His best friend that had _almost_ been assassinated.

“You said that you get these _feelings_. Like…a gut feeling–that something might go wrong.” He was treading carefully, in hopes that he wouldn’t worsen the weight of guilt that was bearing down on Daichi’s shoulders. “Did you know that… _that_ was going to happen?”

Daichi whirled around, looking appalled. “ _Of course not_. If I had, then none of that would’ve happened.”

“No. If you had been there, you might’ve also been attacked…or even worse. Killed.”

Hajime felt ruthless tossing that retort to the other man. But he felt it was necessary to paint the bigger picture. If Daichi had every right to worry about his well-being, then he was most definitely in the right to worry about Daichi’s safety too. The attacker had not been human, and it had also been able to wield powerful magic. What use would two mortals have on that kind of power in combat?

Hajime had experienced helplessness. Despite all of the rigorous training he had endured growing up, there was nothing he could’ve done against the magic. He was a sword wielder. A close-range fighter. His movements were much more predictable and limited. Magic, on the other hand, was like the ocean. With only a small portion of it known to humans, and the rest was left to be uncovered.

“I would’ve been fine with that. As long as you were alive. _Safe_.” Daichi’s words were slow, emphasising each word with importance.

“I wouldn’t.” Hajime’s voice was curt. Brutally honest. Simply stating the truth. “I wouldn’t have been happy with your death for my safety.”

Daichi sighed. Realising that he was most likely not going to win this fight. Hajime had always been stubborn and Daichi, usually, eventually gets tired, giving in. “Hajime-sama, I–”

“Stop,” said Hajime. “I’m well and safe, now. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.”

It was a command from a prince to his captain of the guard. There was no resistance from the other Alpha. Only agreement. “Yes, Hajime-sama.”

 

❀❀❀

 

Daichi looked at Hajime incredulously. Blinking, unmoving, completely at loss for words. Pinching his nose bridge, closing his eyes to weed out a bit of the tiredness in them, Daichi let out a breath. Hajime patiently waited for the man to say something.

“So…let me get this straight,” Daichi started. “You want…to find the omega that saved your life. And…” he trailed off, still trying to process the ridiculousness of the situation.

“Propose to him,” Hajime finished.

The exasperation on Daichi’s face was patent. “You do realise that you were _attacked_ last night. By some human-like creature assassin. And _all_ you can think about, is finding this omega to make him your bride?” The incredulity increased by tenfold. There was also a bit of confusion, Hajime thought.

“That is correct,” the prince confirmed.

“I apologise for what I’m about to say but… _have you lost your mind?_ ” It was Daichi’s reprimanding tone. Hajime was going to get reprimanded. Something that he didn’t care for. Something that made him feel like a child getting scolded by his father, only, it felt worse getting scolded by Daichi.

“Daichi, you don’t understand. He _saved_ my life.” Now Hajime was starting to sound like a teenager. Defensive, as though he had been rejected to court a potential mate of his liking. Except, this was precisely what was happening.

The captain was not happy with that response. So much that he even crossed his arms, resembling a strict parent. Hajime felt sorry for the captain’s future children when he’s finally settled down with a mate. “ Yes, I know, but that is not the biggest elephant that is to be addressed in the room. We should be focusing on who could be behind your attempted assassination,” Daichi emphasised.

That was true. Hajime should be much more concerned for his well-being, rather than chasing his decade-old crush. Then a thought came to him. “Hold on. The omega had been wearing a servant’s attire.”

Daichi raised a brow. “How is that relevant?”

Hajime realised that he hadn’t told Daichi that the omega had been the servant who had, very briefly, served them the goblets of wine that night. “The omega has been disguised as a servant at the party, and then just happened to appear at the scene of the attack,” he said. He could see the gears turning in Daichi’s head.

“Are you suggesting that one of our servants, who turned out to be a _royal or noble_ omega, happened to follow you out to the sunflowers and saved your life?” The captain’s tone was incredulous. There was disbelief and a hint of amusement, all things considering.

Hajime paused. “Well, when you say it like that it sounds ludicrous.”

Daichi suddenly shot up and said, “Because it is! It is completely absurd.” He ran a hand through his short hair. He was distressed. “The whole situation does not make sense. How is it that the omega _conveniently_ happens to be present at the time of the attack?”

Hajime opened his mouth to contribute. Daichi’s ongoing rant interrupted him. “ Not to mention, he also _knew_ what those–things were?”

“It was only one attacker.” A useless contribution. Daichi’s annoyance didn’t subside.

“Fine. That thing.” A retort, the annoyance was prevalent. Hajime was starting to think that he hasn’t said anything smart since the early morning. He could feel the threads of Daichi’s patience fraying, slowly, at the stress that was continuing to gnaw at the captain’s conscience. Threatening to snap at any given moment.

After a heavy sigh, Daichi asked, “Anyway–how did…just–how?” It was as though the question had been a hard pill to swallow. Except the task was getting the question out, rather than taking it down.

The question hung in the air. Hajime had no explanation. A robust one at that. Everything the night before seemed too convenient. On all ends of the spectrum from the place of the attack, knowledge of the lack of counters to magic, and most importantly, the omega’s presence. There was only one way to find out.

“We’ll have to find him.”

Daichi had his face in his hands, breathing heavily with stress, until he snapped his head, looking at Hajime with wide eyes. After registering the other man’s words, an expression that said _did you just say what I think you said?_ He didn’t waver. This was his chance. The fated opportunity. His fate. Hajime was going to seize it.

“Alright.”

Wait. Hajime’s face slacked into a confused expression. Did Daichi just agree? This seemed too easy of a feat, there was no way that Daichi would yield so early into their discussion. Ready to release a breath of relief, the captain said something that made Hajime feel cold. His stomach dropped. He suddenly felt hot, perspiration beginning to form on his hairline, but not enough for it to drip down his face.

“Tell me his name, and I’ll agree to go with you to find him.”

A catch. There always had to be one. It was fair. Daichi’s terms were always fair at least, that and the fact that Hajime was stupid. That was the thing he concluded as of that moment. His stupidity went beyond the kingdom, the valleys that lie ahead of it and the ocean that surrounded the back of it. Essentially, Hajime’s stupidity stretched further than the world as he knows it. Out of all of the things he could’ve done. And Daichi knew. He could see it the moment he said it. Hajime’s face was an open book.

“I knew it.”

Hajime was scrambling now. “Wait! Wait!”

Daichi was unimpressed, and his face was not short of it. In fact, his face was rich with how unimpressed he was with the current, crowned, Alpha prince. The Alpha prince that could not, for the second time after waiting a decade to meet again, get the omega’s name. Hajime also doubted that the omega used his real name during his disguise as the servant.

“Given the situation I was in, of course, I couldn’t have asked for his name.” His protest was lost in Daichi’s shockingly – reprimanding – fatherly gaze. A fruitless excuse in Daichi’s book.

“But you had time to lock lips?” It was a moment of desperation, Hajime thought petulantly.

“Well…”

Daichi let out a breath of a laugh. Shaking his head, he said, “I didn’t expect anything less.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hajime frowned at the insinuation.

“Nothing.” The captain had a sheepish smile. His tone was light, expression relaxed, and his shoulders seemed a lot less tense than they were at the beginning of the conversation. Another awkward pause enveloped the room, neither men saying a word, unsure what to say and how to continue the conversation.

“I’m sorry.”

The apology wasn’t needed, it had only been a formality. A reminder of their friendship, its strength and the loyalty they placed in each other.

“You needn’t apologise,” Daichi reassured. “You were right. Given your circumstances, it would’ve been quite difficult to ask for his name.”

“That’s not what I was apologising for,” Hajime said. “I meant–for worrying you.”

“Oh.”

“I–”

“I should be the one apologising,” the captain interrupted softly. “But it’s a wonder how–for a moment–I forgot how stubborn you were.” The teasing was light and cheeky, a subtle way of saying _I forgive you, and I’m sorry too_ , Hajime thought.

He grinned, playing along, he said, “I hear that’s one of the most prevalent things about me.”

“If we hadn’t grown up together, and I hadn’t known how kind you are, I would say that it is the _most_ prevalent thing about you.”

“You should be careful, my dear friend, I am still the prince.” It was an empty threat filled with humour. The silence, this time, was filled with brotherly grins, thoughts of gratefulness for each other’s presence.

Daichi broke the silence, “Let us search for him.”

Hajime stared. Then, he looked down to his side, where the dagger laid on the bed, covered by the cloth. Glancing back up at Daichi. “Where do we start, Captain?”

“I have an idea.”

 

❀❀❀

 

Hajime and Daichi strode over to the knight’s training grounds with haste. As they rounded the corner, about to enter the arena, both men stopped briefly at the sight of a petite omega in front of them. A petite omega that had earned his position as the general for the castle’s defence.

“Your highness. Captain,” the man addressed with a small bow of the head. One of his palms was resting on his swollen belly. He was out of his usual uniform, as it has been for the past 6 months.  

“Yaku,” Hajime said in slight exasperation. The omega always had the trouble of completely letting go of responsibility. Hajime shouldn’t have been surprised to have found the omega near the training grounds.

“I apologise, your highness, I swear to you that I have only been observing,” Yaku pleaded, his head still bowed forward.

Hajime knew how much his position meant to the omega. Omega leaders were still a new development in Hajime’s kingdom, not because there weren’t any who were not worthy, but simply because there weren’t many omegas who wanted to be warriors. Omegas, as Hajime have come to know, are more submissive and alluring, wanted to be taken care of and pampered. At least those who he has come to meet in his lifetime. Hajime had the pleasure of meeting two fierce omegas, one being the pregnant general in front of him, and the other being his saviour from the night before. Somehow, the thought of a strong omega pleased him.

“As long as you stay safe Yaku-san. Wouldn’t want to worry your mate in your current state,” Daichi said warmly. Yaku lifted his head to properly face the Alphas. Letting out a soft sigh, he rubbed circles on top of his belly. It was rare to see him like this.

“That imbecile worries too much. I can only imagine what it’s going to be like when the baby is born,” Yaku said in exasperation, although there was also fondness in his tone.

“Considering the last incident, I think he has every right to be worried. I’ll have you know that this worry extends to me as well,” Hajime chastised. He couldn’t help it. Stubbornness was one of his prevalent traits, but so was worrying. Caring for his dear friends, in his own tough love sort of way.

Since he was a young child, he had spent more time with the warriors, hoping that he could build his strength and confidence. Naturally, with all the time he had spent in the training grounds, in the castle battlements, he built friendships, connections, a sense of belonging with the other warriors. Yaku was only one of the many.

“It had only been a minor fall, there was nothing to worry about.” It was a typical response from the omega.

“There are miscarriages that occur due to minor falls,” Daichi reprimanded.

“Which fortunately, did not occur with me,” Yaku retorted. He let out of a soft sigh. “Nonetheless, I appreciate your concern. Both of you. However, I can assure you both, that I haven’t engaged in any sparring activities since then. It’s quite difficult to be nimble with my current size.” Then he grumbled, “Not for lack of trying either.”

Perhaps stubbornness was a common trait with residents of the castle, Hajime thought.

“I will hold you to your word.” Yaku sighed in defeat, as though he was accepting his fate. Which was his pregnancy.

“So, what brings you both here to the training grounds?” Yaku asked curiously.

“We were looking for Kuroo. Have you seen him?” Daichi asked.

The wide arch of the entrance to the arena displayed a great deal of the training space, predominantly the main ring designated for sparring. The weapon room was situated to the left of the sparring ring from the point of view of the entrance, tucked away from an immediate glance. Adjacent to it were the rooms which held the armour and a separate, connected passage that lead to the warrior’s barracks. Daichi knew that Kuroo had a habit of spending an inordinate amount of time in the weapon room with other fellow warriors, exchanging castle gossip. Or rather, listen to others exchange castle gossip.

Yaku shook his head. “He wasn’t present when I arrived. Perhaps check his quarters? He might still be recovering.”

Daichi nodded his head knowingly. “I see.”

Hajime, who had no knowledge of the reference, looked between Yaku and Daichi in confusion. “Either of you going to enlighten me?”

“Terushima’s concoction.” It was all Hajime needed to piece the puzzle together. He didn’t welcome his own memory of it from the night of his 18th birthday. He had been on bed rest for a whole day until the headache disappeared.

“Say no more,” Hajime said, silently praying for Kuroo’s well-being.

Without another word, the three of them made their way to the warrior’s barracks. Upon arriving at Kuroo’s door, Daichi knocked three times and waited for a response. When they heard a loud groan from the other side of the door, Yaku moved passed Daichi and opened the door wide. Light spilled into the room and highlighted the man they had been searching for on the floor, next to his bed with the blankets strewn all over. They saw him in his naked glory, with only his manhood covered, thankfully, by the blankets.

Kuroo hissed at the light, bringing an arm to cover his eyes. “Wha–how–can you close the damn door,” he demanded, unbeknownst to who was currently in his room.

“Kuroo,” Hajime called out, unabashed by the other man’s nudity. Said man shot up instantly from his position at the sound of the prince’s voice, then subsequently regretting his actions as the headache pierced through him. The blanket slipped, causing Yaku and Daichi to avert their gaze. “It’s alright, I…I know how you feel,” Hajime comforted.

“Hajime-sama,” Kuroo said, his voice slightly wavering, relieved to know that someone understood his current predicament. Finally registering the prince’s presence in his room, Kuroo gasped in embarrassment. He pushed through the raging pain from his head as he scrambled to grab the blanket that had once only covered his modesty. “Uhm…I–”

“We’ll leave you to dress,” Hajime said. His amusement was starting to become difficult to hide. The usual, calm, collected, suave Kuroo was nowhere to be seen and instead, replaced by a man, an Alpha at that, embarrassed to the tips of his toes from completely displaying his unclothed body to the crowned prince.

“I–uh–y–yes. That–would be appreciated,” Kuroo stuttered. Gathering any strip of courage left in him to secure his dignity.

As quickly as they barged in, they exited Kuroo’s room. Hajime looked to his side and saw Daichi with a slight flush. He decided not to address it. Except, Yaku ended up doing it in his stead.

“What’s wrong, captain?” It was an honest question. Yaku was not one to tease others.

“Nothing.” Denial. An abrupt one.

Hajime felt a little mischievous. “Nothing?”

“Nothing,” the captain said, clipped. Clearly wanting to end the discussion.

“ _Nothing_?” Hajime emphasised.

“Nothing.” Daichi’s shoulders were tense. Clearly not having fun, while Hajime in contrast, was.

Yaku groaned, rolling his eyes, “It wasn’t nothing when you both had sex that one time.”

Shock and horror filled Daichi’s entire being. Hajime, on the other hand, made a very poor attempt to conceal his laughter. Which very soon transitioned into an open cackle. The scene was interrupted when Kuroo emerged from his room, fully clothed and a hand on his temple, massaging it. Daichi was only slightly grateful at the interruption.

“Alright, I’m ready to talk,” Kuroo murmured.

Yaku scoffed, “Obviously.” A reference to his earlier tardiness.

“Can–can we…not speak of what happened earlier?” It was a given, as there was an absolute certainty that they would never speak of it again. Had Bokuto been present, that was something Hajime could not promise.

Remembering his original intention of speaking with Kuroo, he decided to divert the conversation. “Do you know where Daishou is currently stationed?”

The question seemed to have initially taken Kuroo by surprise until his face scrunched in disgust. “Yes, but don’t soil yourself by interacting with that snake, Hajime-sama.”

The prince shook his head. “I need him to check something. It’s important.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!! Thank you to anyone who is still following this fic because it really does mean a lot! I am still serious about this fic and I really do want to finish it! The reason why I haven't been updating is because I started my full-time job and I've just barely had time to write or even proofread the chapters I've already written. And this is also my first ever fantasy story, so I'm being very particular about a lot of things haha
> 
> HOWEVER, because NaNiWriMo is happening this month, I'm using this to get my motivation back in and get into the routine of things! This chapter is kind of short in my opinion, mainly because I split the original chapter in half since I thought it was too long. Sorry for that! I'll be adding some more exciting stuff for chapter 4, so please look forward to that!
> 
> Anyways, I'm going to stop rambling, hope you enjoy the chapter!

 

Daishou Suguru was one of the best informants in the kingdom. While his methods were questionable, much like his work ethic, he was loyal to the kingdom. He was known to be difficult to deal with, always driving for a hard bargain, and possessed an alarming amount of similarities to a snake. Hajime had never had to deal with Daishou personally, but there was a first time for everything. Another first time he was also dealing with was his current predicament: cramped inside Daishou’s small underground post in the kingdom’s capital city.

“Hmm,” Daishou hummed, examining the dagger with leather gloves. He tilted the dagger in multiple angles. “Oh–” he let out, making everyone perk up. Then, “Mmmm.”

It was back to humming for the umpteenth time.

Hajime considered himself to be a moderately patient man. As a prince, Hajime had sat through multiple council meetings, boring social obligations, engaged in many unwanted conversations with a lot of elder nobles, but as of right now, he had never felt so impatient. Kuroo, didn’t seem to be any better either. Daishou’s presence seemed to have a negative effect on him. As though, by simply existing, he brought out murderous intent from the Alpha warrior.

When Daishou took another deep breath as he stared at the dagger, now laid on the table in front of him, Hajime hoped that he would finally say something. Especially before Kuroo decided to strangle the snake-like man. And finally, “Alright. I think I have something.”

Daichi was the first to say something. “Great. What did you gather?” Hajime admired his tenacity. He could tell that the captain’s patience had also been wearing thin, but it wasn’t expressed in his voice.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I wasn’t under the impression that I would have to tell you,” Daishou said silkily. Yaku, who had been silent the entire time, was suddenly holding a dagger against the side of the informant’s neck. His speed was remarkable considering the size of his swollen belly, and the lack of space there was in the post. What was more infuriating was Daishou’s lack of reaction, when only a slight tilt of Yaku’s wrist could cause a deadly cut to the large artery beneath the skin.

“You _dare_ withhold information from his Highness against his request?” Yaku hissed, his expression vicious.

Daishou smirked, baring a huge resemblance of a snake. It was cunning, sly and most of all, purposeful. “No, no, no,” he said. “I wouldn’t do that. At least,” Daishou’s eyes landed on Hajime, piercing into him. “Not without a price.”

“Of course. I told you this was a bad idea Hajime-sama,” Kuroo snapped. “This was a complete waste of time.” He was seething.

Hajime held up a hand. At the gesture, Yaku backed away from Daishou, and Kuroo bit his tongue to prevent him from lashing out at the Beta. “What do you want?” he asked slowly, cautious, treading carefully. As if he was asking the devil.

The smirk turned into a smile. A smile that held an ulterior motive. “I want the dagger,” he said simply.

Hajime’s breath hitched. “What?”

“I want the dagger. And in exchange, I will tell you what I know.” The request was direct. The reason as to why Daishou would want the dagger was something Hajime had yet to understand. Except, the implications of this request meant that this dagger was worth for more than what it was. Whatever Daishou knew about this dagger had to be important.

“Forget it,” Kuroo snarled. “Hajime-sama let’s leave, he obviously doesn’t know anything.” The jab didn’t go unaffected since Daishou’s lips tightened at it.

“Go ahead, your Highness. But I can assure you that what I know will most definitely aid you in your quest.” A tempting offer. A bait. And Hajime felt annoyed at how much it tugged his curiosity. His desperation to find the omega was steadily increasing until it was ready to throw all caution out of the window. Hajime had no doubt about Daishou’s loyalty, only that he never did anything without a reason, specifically for personal gain. His profession was fitting.

“Alright,” Hajime said. Daichi looked at him with disbelief.

“Hajime-sama.” The prince shrugged. Yaku and Kuroo joined Daichi as disbelief also manifested on their faces, mouths hanging open, eyes wide.

Daishou brought his hands together, his smile broadening to his ears. “Excellent. I’m glad you see reason, Hajime-sama.” His voice was velvety. He then reached over to take the dagger, but Hajime had been faster, sweeping it up. Daishou frowned.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t under the impression that I agreed to your terms,” Hajime said. “I was simply acknowledging what you said.”

Daishou’s eye twitched, obviously irked at the situation. “I see.” He let a breath of a laugh. It was smug. Like he had the upper hand. It angered Hajime. “Perhaps, you don’t need the information after all. In that case, I will take my leave.”

“We’re in your post,” Kuroo grumbled.

Hajime felt torn. The dagger was the only object that had a direct link to the omega. Without it, Hajime could kiss his golden opportunity goodbye. Furthermore, it wasn’t just the hope of meeting the omega again that the dagger symbolised because meeting the omega again meant he could investigate what was behind the night of his attempted assassination. He decided to try a different tactic.

“How about this,” Hajime said. “You will tell me what you know of the crest, and…” his words hung in the air. This was new territory for Hajime. He usually wasn’t one to bargain and it was precisely why he wasn’t sure how to continue.

“We won’t mention that Princess Mika ended your relationship due to your unsatisfactory performance in her bed,” Daichi said with a straight face. Daishou instantly jolted at the remark, eyes wide as dinner plates, mouth twisting to an unflattering shape. It was panic, followed by embarrassment.

“H–how did y–you–I mean–” He was doing a poor job of schooling his features. Crossing his arms to mask his shaking, he tilted his chin up, trying his best to save face. “ _Actually_ , I was the one who ended our relationship.” A lie. Completely unconvincing.

Kuroo was biting his lip, this time, trying to contain his laughter. He was also doing a poor job at it as some of his cackles were escaping his tightened lips. Yaku looked at the Beta in amusement, Hajime was more intrigued as to how Daichi knew that piece of information. Blackmail might’ve been a more appropriate word.

“You’re not keeping the dagger,” Daichi stated. His voice was eerily calm. Much like a calm before the storm. “We’ll give you a gold coin.” Proving his offer, Daichi pulls out the gold from his pocket, gleaming with value. Hajime was more than happy to let the captain take charge, knowing that he would handle the situation better than he could.

“What do you say?”

Daishou contemplated over it briefly. “Deal,” he settled with a groan, catching the coin when Daichi tossed it to him.

“Alright spill,” Kuroo demanded. His poster was upright, arms crossed, and he hovered over Daishou, trying to emphasise their height difference. The beta looked up at him, sneering.

“You know, that nest on your head doesn’t count towards your height.” Kuroo squawked at the retort. Just as he was about to fire something back, he caught a dangerous glint in Daichi’s eyes, causing him to fall back. Subsequently deflating since he wasn’t able to have the last word.

“What do you know about the dagger?” Daichi asked.

Daishou pointed at the dagger in Hajime’s grip and said, “You see that crest on the pommel. That’s a royal crest. It belongs to a kingdom, beyond the sea, in the southern continent. It would approximately take about a month by riding to the nearest port. From there, depending on whether the current is in your favour, it’ll take another two weeks to sail.” Hajime felt his heart beat faster. One step closer to the omega. A royal, too. The perfect criteria.

“That’s not all you know is it?” Daichi prodded. His gaze was on Daishou. It was intense and piercing, resembling a crow when circling its prey. Only that, the captain stood perfectly still. His demeanour alone made Daishou’s skin lose a bit of its colour.

Letting out a sigh, Daishou swallowed. “I don’t have any confirmation on this. But. I heard that there was a great betrayal in the kingdom, 5 years ago. Collapsing it from within. The King and Queen were murdered. I don’t know what happened to their children.”

“What do you mean?” Daichi

“What about their people?” Hajime asked. Daishou shrugged.

“I’m not sure. The kingdom was fairly large. One of the most powerful in the southern continent. I would assume that a percentage of the population died or went to seek refuge elsewhere.” Daishou’s tone was nonchalant.

“So there’s a chance that the royal children have survived?” said Yaku.

“Technically, yes,” Daishou confirmed. “There hasn’t been any robust information regarding the royal children since the incident. So there is a chance that they could have died in the midst of it all.”

“Not all of them, maybe,” Hajime muttered to himself. He knew deep down that the omega who saved him was the same one he met all those years ago. There was no doubt about it. The scent was still as euphoric.

“ _Although_ , there is one thing I’d like to point out.” Hajime didn’t like the change of tone in Daishou’s voice.

“What is it?” the prince gritted out.

“From what I know, the aftermath of the betrayal ended in ruins. Leftover weapons and any other royal belongings could’ve been picked up by some merchant and sold at a price,” Daishou stated, crossing his arms. The smug grin was back on his face.

It had been one step forward, three steps back.

Hajime bit down his frustration. Not even a day after the incident from the night before and they’ve already hit a dead end. He couldn’t afford to lie around. By his 21st birthday, he was expected to have an omega in tow, ready to be married, all because of some royal family tradition. As much as he didn’t want to, he felt a wave of stress wash over him. He was snarling.

“Hajime-sama.”

The prince snapped his gaze towards the voice. Daichi was giving him a reassuring look. With that alone, Hajime could tell that the captain was simply telling him to calm down before acting rashly. He took a deep breath in and exhaled heavily, already feeling more relaxed. Daishou wasn’t taken aback from the display of frustration. He looked amused.

“Is there a possibility that some of these items could be traded somewhere in this kingdom?” Daichi asked. Daishou raised a brow.

“Perhaps, there _is_ a small possibility–”

“Then we’ll take it. Where are these items being traded?” Daichi continued. Daishou let out a squawk.

“Wha–don’t cut me off while I’m ta–”

“ _Answer the damn question_.” Daichi’s expression turned dark. It seems that his capacity for patience has finally wavered.

Daishou let out a scoff before replying, “There’s a trading that occurs in the late hours of the night, it’s in the district layered with brothels and pubs.” Reaching for a scrap of parchment and a quill, he wrote down an address and instructions, handing it over to Hajime. “With your status, I can guarantee you that things will not go down well. The trading might be called off altogether if anyone notices that his Highness were to be present.”

“Perhaps we’ll just send you to do our dirty work then,” Kuroo shot back.

“As much as I’d _love_ to do that, I have another client to attend to,” Daishou sneered. “So I guess you’re stuck to do the dirty work after all.”

“Ugh, you just always have to be so infuriating–”

“Kuroo,” Yaku warned. “Don’t waste your breath.”

Hajime decided to step in. “Let’s leave. We have everything we need now.” He pocketed the piece of parchment and turned towards the exit.” The meeting had gone for a lot longer than he wanted. He was starting to understand why Kuroo found Daishou extremely aggravating. If Hajime had to stay there for any longer, he would already have his fingers around the Beta’s neck. That is if Kuroo didn’t get there first.

“ _Good luck_ ,” Daishou sang as Hajime and his royal guard made their way up the stairs. Hajime didn’t want to admit it, but he was most likely going to need the luck. Even if it did come from the informant.

 

❀❀❀

 

Later that night, Hajime decided that sending Daichi, Kuroo and Bokuto to the markets – after confiding him the situation – would be the smarter decision. While Bokuto might not be the most subtle warrior, he was always capable of professionalism and most importantly, one of the best fighters in the castle’s guard. If a riot were to break out, some extra muscle wouldn’t hurt. Moreover, despite his boisterous behaviour Bokuto was extremely perceptive.

Stripped off from their castle guard uniform and royal insignias, the three Alphas made their way through the notorious district, passing (and avoiding) invites from prostitutes and drunkards. They wore commoner clothing, with only Daichi, as the exception, wearing a hood to obstruct his features on the off chance he was to be recognised. Kuroo and Bokuto opted for having their unique hairstyles to be fashioned downwards. The sight had been so odd that Daichi had trouble recognising them at first glance.

They turned the corner and arrived at the venue. It was a narrow alley between two brothels with dark coloured drapes acting as the entrance, much like a curtain. There was no source of light beside the front lamps of the brothels and the moonlight. Following the instructions that were written on the parchment from Daishou, Daichi took out 3 silver coins and stuck his hand in between the drapes, palm upwards. It was the entrance fee.

He felt the coins taken from his palm. After a short moment, the drapes were pulled opened to reveal a large, muscular man and a leather-clad woman. The pair looked up and down at the three Alphas, analysing their appearance. They must be the entrance guards, Daichi thought. “Enter,” the woman said with a thick accent. She was not a local.

The large man didn’t speak. Instead, he held up his arm and gestured towards the end of the alley, where there was another set of drapes. Pulling them open, the Alphas entered what appeared to be the main arena. Market stalls were set up adjacent to each other, resembling nothing different to a common fruit market aside from the lesser-friendly looking sellers and their goods.

“We’re going to have to wander around,” said Daichi. “It might take a bit of time before we find something.” Kuroo and Bokuto nodded as their eyes scanned over their current environment.

“This place is much bigger than I expected,” Bokuto muttered. Deep down he hoped that they didn’t have to stay in this place for long. He wasn’t afraid, but if he could avoid trouble, then he would very much like to. “It’s also rolling around with thugs,” he added. Other patrons of the market were sending questioning glances at them.

“We have to move. Blend in,” Daichi said. He made move towards one direction, not really caring where he was heading. This was a place where people knew what they wanted or at least knew what they were looking for. People around them walked with purpose and intention. Standing around and appearing lost wouldn’t bode well. They were already causing suspicion.

Kuroo and Bokuto followed Daichi, falling a step behind, eyes darting at every direction and ears open, hoping that they could find something that would forge some sort of link to the dagger. They stopped in their tracks when they heard yelling. It was a bidding. A large crowd surrounded the podium, one speaker yelling on the top of his lungs and another man next to him holding a shield. Presumably the item on offer.

The speaker listed the qualities of the shield: it was used, crafted by a blacksmith from a continent across the sea, premium steel from a tribe that neither of the Alphas had ever heard of. It could’ve all been lies. Although, this didn’t seem like a regular bidding war between rich nobles who rarely knew anything about weaponry. Easily swindled by sweet talkers, tricked into purchasing adequate quality items.

A price was called out. It wasn’t very high. Judging from the lack of response from the crowd, Kuroo gathered that the shield, after all, wasn’t an item worth fighting for. He felt sorry for the seller. The shield was taken off the podium. Another item was taken to the stage. A book. Leather-bound, gold engravings on the cover and spine, old looking. It didn’t generate much interest with the crowd, considering the silence. A moment passed after the items introduction and then a hefty price was called out.

Surprise engulfed the crowd, even causing the Alphas to raise brows. 15 gold coins for the leather-bound book. Being the tallest amongst the three, Kuroo was able to see a small blonde approach the front of the stage with a small pouch in hand. The exchange was swift. The next bid was already occurring. “If we stay and watch, we could be here all night” he murmured to Daichi.

The captain nodded in agreement. “You’re right, let’s keep moving.”

Bokuto, still captivated by the bidding, made a noise of protest. “But I want to see what’s next,” he whined lowly.

Kuroo wrenched him away from the bidding by the wrist, following Daichi’s lead. They came to another area of stalls where they immediately noticed the lack of patrons. After a quick glimpse at the prices of the goods laid on the stall tables, Kuroo concluded that this was the more expensive section of the market. Daggers, swords, axes and other miscellaneous items were priced at a minimum of 10 gold coins and up. Given their regular appearance, their values were astonishing.

“How rare are these items?” Bokuto asked curiously. “They look so…. _regular_ to me.” Frowning as he saw a knife that was priced at 15 gold coins. It was also chipped.

“Depends on what you’re looking for,” a voice said. They looked to the right. A man of a medium-build stood behind his stall table, a Beta. An assortment of items was laid out, priced just as high as the previous items they’ve seen. “Anything I can help you with, gentlemen?”

“No, we’re fine, thank you,” Daichi replied swiftly. The man looked amused.

“So polite. Manners are so scarce nowadays,” he commented. There was a quality about him that made Daichi feel uneasy. He spoke with intention, as though he knew something about Daichi. “Are you sure I can’t interest you in anything?” The man asked again, waving a hand over his table, gesturing towards his items.

Daichi, firmly said, “No. We’ll be taking our leave.” Before he was able to turn away, a bronze cuff was thrust in his direction. Taken aback, he looked at the item with a frown. There was a vibrant coloured gem in the centre of the cuff, gleaming brightly. Kuroo and Bokuto tensed beside him, ready to lash out at the command.

“I think this would be a compatible match for you,” the Beta said. “It can regulate your power. Like a mediator, if you will.” Daichi’s jaw tightened. Bokuto sensed his discomfort and pushed in between him and the Beta.

“Back off buddy, he said no,” Bokuto said. He stood to his full height, towering over the Beta, who was unfazed at the intimidation tactic. As though he was used to that sort of behavior, considering where he traded his items.

“Suit yourself,” the Beta said, turning away from them, disappearing into drapes that covered the back half of his stall, taking the cuff with him.

Daichi was breathing heavily. Bokuto turned to him, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” he huffed. “Let’s keep moving.” And they did.

They stopped again when they passed another stall that was downed in a familiar vermillion. It wasn’t the colour that made them stop, rather it was the number of patrons that surrounded it. It wasn’t as nearly as crowded as the bidding, but there were enough people for no vacant spaces at front of the stall table. Kuroo craned his neck to peek at what was laid on the table. Surprisingly, it was bare.

“There’s nothing,” he said to Daichi and Bokuto. “The table is empty.” The other two were frowning.

“Then why are there so many people here?” Bokuto asked.

“It’s not a trading stall. For tangible goods that is.” A smooth tenor. They looked to the source of the voice. It was a hooded male with a smaller male companion to his side, looking away. Kuroo recognized the smaller figure as the blonde from the bidding. He was only able to see the blonde strands that weren’t obstructed by the hood. Kuroo couldn’t pick up a scent on them. He concluded that they must be Betas.

The male that had spoken earlier was raven-haired, had piercing eyes and supple pink lips. A beautiful face.

“What is it that they do here?” Daichi asked.

“Information,” the blonde stated. “It is where patrons gain knowledge on the item they wish to sell.”

“I see.” Daichi let that sink in.

“This is your first time here, isn’t it?” The blonde said. Daichi and Kuroo were now looking at him, apprehensive. He was still facing away from them, looking at the crowd in front. “Otherwise, you would’ve known about this stall.” Unsure what to say, their silence was elongated. The blonde spoke again, “It’s alright. We don’t come here often either.” He turned his head slightly, gaining Kuroo a small glimpse to his face.

Kuroo’s eyes widened in realization. He stood there stunned in silence. The blonde remained impassive and looked away, ready to leave the stall. “Let’s go, we’re done here.” He was speaking to the tall raven.

“Be careful.” The raven nodded at them. Turning around with a twirl of his cloak, he and the blonde walked away. Daichi looked at their retreating backs, getting a good look at the bow and quiver strapped onto the raven’s back, and the royal insignia that was embroidered onto it. It was unmistakable. The vines and the thorns. It was the same one on the dagger.

Daichi immediately faced Bokuto and Kuroo, eyes wide. “He has the same insignia on his quiver. It’s the same as the one on the dagger,” he said hurriedly. Properly looking at the others’ face, he raised a brow. “What’s wrong?”

Kuroo looked horrified. In contrast, Bokuto looked love-struck. And Daichi, was confused.

“Kenma,” Kuroo murmured.

“Wow, he was so beautiful,” Bokuto breathed.

“Oi, focus you two,” Daichi hissed, snapping his fingers in front of their faces. “That man before has the same insignia on his quiver as the one on the dagger. We have to go follow him before we lose sight.” Snapping out of their stupor, Bokuto and Kuroo remembered the task at hand.

“Right, right,” Kuroo said. “Let’s follow them.”

“Captain.”

They froze. Daichi turned around.

“Ushijima-sama.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kenma and Kuroo's backstory appears in this chapter! Hope you all enjoy~

Daichi stared at the man in front of him. He didn’t want to believe what his eyes showed him, but his nose confirmed the Alpha’s identity. The scent was distinct. Pungent.

_ Ushijima Wakatoshi _ , Hajime’s cousin and second in line to the throne. Out of all of the people to run into, it  **had** to be him. Daichi was starting to think that this was a cruel twist of fate. Although, one thing that struck oddly was Ushijima’s presence in a place like this.

“What are you all doing here?” Ushijima asked. His expression was as hard as ever. Bokuto often made remarks of his facial muscles being deficient. Daichi agreed with him. This man was a closed book.

“We’re on a mission,” Kuroo said. Ushijima’s eyebrow twitched the slightest upwards. “For the prince,” he added for context.

“I see. My cousin made a smart decision. His presence wouldn’t be welcome in such a venue,” Ushijima replied with stride. He took the news as though Kuroo had commented about the weather.

Daichi swallowed the lump in his throat. “With all due respect Ushijima-sama, what reasons are you here for, if you don’t mind me asking?” he asked boldly. From the lack of guards or companions next to him, Ushijima was most likely alone.

“Unfortunately, that is classified business, Captain.” His voice wasn’t hostile. Just direct, straightforward, right to the point. “I would also appreciate it if you didn’t inform my cousin about this encounter.”

Strange.

Daichi nodded. “Understood.” He was not in the place to push, considering his own presence along with two other royal guards already seemed suspicious.

“However, since you all are here, I am looking for a hooded Beta pair. A tall black-haired male and a smaller blond, also male.” The descriptions hit Daichi hard. It was the exact same pair that he needed to find as soon as possible. His mind went back to the crest that was on the raven’s quiver.

Without thought, Daichi turned his head towards the direction the pair went. It was a naive move. Given the darkness of the night and the crowd that roamed the markets, it was likely that he already lost them. They didn’t exactly stand out of the crowd. Moreover, they might’ve already left the vicinity.

_ “Let’s go. We’re done here.”  _ The blonde had said. Daichi’s jaw tensed.

Ushijima’s eyes were sharp. “Is that your answer?”

Turning back, Daichi said, “I–”. He paused. “I am unsure.”

“Then why did you look behind you?” pressed Ushijima. Daichi could feel his body warming up. He always found himself floundering at the presence of the other man. The captain would be lying if he said that Ushijima didn’t intimidate him. Before he could reply, Bokuto stepped in.

“Yes, they went that way about half an hour ago. But, there is a high chance that they already left the vicinity.” Bokuto’s tone was nonchalant, his expression neutral. He was gesturing behind him with his thumb.

Ushijima nodded. “I see. Well, no matter, there’s only one way to find out. I will leave you, gentleman to your errands.” Without another word, he walked around them, heading in the direction that Bokuto was still pointing at.

Finding his voice, Daichi called out, “Ushijima-sama.” When the man turned around, looking at him questioningly, he continued, “Could you–uhm...could you please keep this between us? I know it is a lot to ask–and I apologize for imposing such a request.” Daichi bowed his head. Bokuto and Kuroo followed suit.

“Of course.” They all looked up. “And as I said before, I would appreciate it if this did not reach my cousin. That is what I would like in return.”

“Understood.”

With that, Ushijima disappeared into the crowd. Daichi stared, still baffled at the encounter.

“What do we do now?” Bokuto asked.

Daichi shook his head slightly. “I don’t know.”

“Are we really not going to tell Hajime-sama about this?” Bokuto looked concerned.

Daichi sighed. If he did tell Hajime, then he would be breaking a request from another member of the royal family. Even though he was not part of Ushijima’s household, it was still disrespectful.

“We will have to,” he finally said. Bokuto nodded slowly, clearly unhappy with their predicament. Daichi didn’t like it either.

“Alright. So, what’s our next move?” Bokuto asked. “Should we go follow Ushijima-sama?”

Daichi shook his head. “No. We go after the beta pair.”

“But wouldn’t that mean–” He knew what Bokuto was going to ask.

“That’s why we have to go now,” Daichi interrupted. “We have to find the beta first.” Bokuto only nodded, his eyes sparkling with determination.

“Got it.”

“Let’s go,” said Daichi. He surged forward, heading in the direction Ushijima and the beta pair went.

Bokuto made a move to follow but then realized that Kuroo hadn’t moved. Turning around to look at the other Alpha, he saw Kuroo looking at the ground, eyes slightly wide.

“Oi, Kuroo. Let’s go,” he called out.

Kuroo came out of his stupor. He looked dazed, and also in disbelief. Quickly schooling his features, he strode over next to Bokuto without a word. They both walked side by side, not far behind Daichi.

“Kuroo, are you okay?”

Kuroo looked at Bokuto, his expression clearly showing his anxiety. “Y-yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

The other Alpha warrior didn’t believe him, but he didn’t bother pushing. Bokuto thought to revisit the topic later. For now, they have a mission to complete.

❀❀❀

“We’ll have a better chance of finding the beta pair if we split up,” stated Daichi. “Kuroo, check around the main market stalls. Bokuto, check around the bidding arena and I’ll go around to see if there is anything else about this place we haven’t discovered yet. Understood?”

“Understood.”

They split into their assigned sections. Kuroo made his way over to the market stalls closer to the entrance. He thought back to the small blonde.

_ Kenma _ .

It was definitely him, Kuroo thought. He knew Kenma’s face like the back of his hand. It had been years since they were separated. Probably over a decade at this point. It didn’t matter if Kenma’s hair colour had changed or if he had cut all of his hair, Kuroo would still recognize him.

There was one thing that was off. Kuroo recalled that Kenma’s scent had been really sweet. Fruity, even.  Except, in their earlier encounter, his scent was completely absent. For as long as he can remember, Kenma was an omega, not a beta.

Kuroo tried to pull out of his thoughts. This wasn’t the best time to get distracted over personal matters. He had a mission to focus on and he was already wasting time. The Alpha’s eyes darted towards the stall tables.

No different from the high-end side of the markets, a variety of middle to lower-tier goods were up for sale. The quality of the weapons and armour seemed to have a standard to live up to, while other items such as books and jewelry were priced cheaper. Perhaps a variety for extra profit.

Kuroo wandered. Mere minutes felt like several hours. Any crest that he came across didn’t resemble anything close to what he was looking for. As he made more rounds in the area, he could sense the suspicion from the sellers in their stalls. Kuroo knew that his actions weren’t the norm in that kind of place. His area was a dead end. There hadn’t been anything that could have remotely established a connection to the royal crest of Hajime’s omega.

He made a turn towards the bidding area to find Bokuto.

“Kuro.”

Kuroo froze. He only knew one person that would ever call him that. He whipped around and saw Kenma standing in front of him. Looking blasé as ever.

“Kenma,” he breathed. Kuroo shivered as though a bucket of cold water was poured on him. His feet were rooted to the ground. His heart was pounding quickly.

He was there. Right in front of him. Kuroo still couldn’t believe it. For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything else. Instead, he just stared at his childhood neighbour in awe.

Kenma took something out of his cloak. A letter. Kuroo’s breath hitched when he saw Hajime’s name on the envelope. Kenma had his arm stretched out, holding the letter out to the Alpha.

“Give this to him,” Kenma said.

Kuroo took the letter with a trembling hand. Looking down at it, he confirmed that it was definitely Hajime’s name written in neat cursive.

Suddenly having a bout of courage, “K-Kenma, wait! I–”. Kuroo looked up and saw that Kenma was already gone. Again.

The Alpha bit his lip in frustration, clenching his free hand into a fist. As he calmed down, Kuroo remembered that first and foremost, he needed to complete this mission. Only, technically, Kenma did it for him. After pocketing the letter, Kuroo resumed his path towards the bidding area to find Bokuto.

 

❀❀❀

 

By the time they have all recouped and Kuroo delivered the news, they didn’t spend a moment longer lingering and swiftly exited.

The ride back was fast and neither of them bothered to make conversation. Though, to hold a conversation whilst riding a galloping horse was also very difficult. When they neared the gates of the castle, Daichi pulled out a blue sash with the Iwaizumi royal crest and waved it, signalling the guards on the battlements to let them in.

The gates creaked as they were pulled open. Bokuto winced at the shrill of the metal as it moved. “I’ll never get used to that,” he groaned, shivering.

They rode their horses to the dais, where the stable workers met them. They unmounted and passed their stallions to the workers. Bokuto remained a moment longer and gave his stallion one affectionate caress before following Daichi and Kuroo.

“Do you think we should give the letter to Hajime-sama right away?” Kuroo asked as they approached the fork between the prince’s chambers and the barracks.

Daichi nodded, taking the turn towards the prince. “Yes. Knowing him, he’ll still be awake.”

“What if he isn’t?” Bokuto inquired.

The captain shrugged with nonchalance. “We’ll wake him. He wouldn’t be very happy if we delay him the news.”

“Alright but you wake him up. I’d rather not get sliced again,” Bokuto stated. Iwaizumi was not a morning person.

Kuroo rolled his eyes. “It was seven years ago, get over it.”

The silver and black-haired Alpha pointed at him defiantly. “Hey!  _ You _ weren’t on the receiving end of his sword.”

“He was going through his first rut. Of course, he was going to lash back,” Kuroo said in exasperation.

“Yeah, yeah, at least I didn’t have to get any stitches,” Bokuto grumbled, mouth into a pout and arms crossed. “Who keeps a training sword underneath one’s bed anyway,” he added.

“You have a dagger underneath your pillow,” Kuroo deadpanned. “Also, it was barely even a scratch.” Their banter continued until Daichi cleared his throat, halting them.

They had arrived at Hajime’s headquarters. Kuroo and Bokuto assembled themselves behind Daichi, before the latter knocked on the door. Hajime appeared in seconds, still in the clothes he wore when he sent them off.

“We found a lead,” Daichi said. Hajime’s eyes widened.

“Come in,” Hajime said. He opened his door wide to let the other Alphas in. Once they were all inside, Hajime went to take a seat at his desk. The others remained standing. “So, what happened?”

“When we were at the markets, we found a pair of Betas. One of them carried a quiver baring the exact same royal crest as the one on the dagger,” Daichi stated. Hajime perked up.

“Did you talk to them?” The prince asked, full of hope.

Daichi winced and shook his head. “Unfortunately, we lost them in the crowd.” Which wasn’t a lie, except that the real reason why they did was something that couldn’t be revealed.

“But I happen to encounter one of them again,” Kuroo stated. He took the letter out of his pocket and passed it over to Hajime. “He told me to give this to you.”

Hajime looked at the letter in awe, his eyes gazing over his name, neatly written on the front.  _ Iwaizumi Hajime _ , in beautiful, impeccable handwriting. Even the omega’s handwriting was perfect.

“We can take our leave if you’d like to read this in private,” said Daichi. Hajime looked up from the letter and paused for a moment.

“No. It’s fine, I’d like to read it now with you all here,” Hajime decided. “That is if it’s alright with you all? I understand that it has been a long day.”

Bokuto spoke up, “With all due respect Hajime-sama, I’m actually itching to know what’s written in there.” He smiled sheepishly, making the other Alphas crack a grin.

Hajime opened the envelope and took out a folded piece of paper. His eyes scanned over the message. The other Alphas waited patiently.

“It’s a request for a meeting at a town south of this kingdom,” Hajime finally said. He handed the letter over to Daichi. The captain scanned over the contents of the letter, while Bokuto and Kuroo glimpsed over his shoulder.

“This is quite random. I wonder why this town of all places?” said Daichi, his eyes were narrowed.

“It doesn’t matter, it is still a town in this kingdom. I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to pay a visit,” Hajime said nonchalantly.

“Understood. I will prepare a letter to the mayor of the town in the morning.”

“No.”

Daichi’s eyes widened in surprise. “No?”

Bokuto and Kuroo were also taken back at the prince’s words. “No,” Hajime repeated. “I don’t want this to be an official excursion.”

“Why is that?” Bokuto asked in curiosity.

“I won’t have much freedom if I inform the mayor that I will be visiting. They would most likely hold a banquet and organize activities during my stay,” Hajime assumed. “Moreover, I wouldn’t be able to roam freely, and I would be bound to my social obligations. There would also be extra security around me. All of this would make it extremely difficult to meet the omega.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Daichi asked carefully. Hajime thought for a moment before an idea sprung into his head. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards.

“We’ll be departing for the town in a week,” Hajime stated. “I’m going to inform my parents that it is because I am seeking a potential bride.”

There was a pause.

And finally, Bokuto spoke, “Wait, a moment. We?”

“Yes. I will be taking you three with me,” Hajime stated. He saw a mixture of emotions on the other Alphas’ faces. There was concern, surprise, confusion.

“Just the four of us?” Bokuto asked in surprise.

“Yes. I don’t want the information about the situation to spread outside of us. Furthermore, it’ll be easier to move around with a smaller group,” said Hajime. “You three are all strong warriors and are also the men I trust the most.”

“Hajime-sama, thank you for your kind words, but….do you not think that you might be a little too eager with this endeavour?” Daichi asked.  “Wouldn’t his Highness and her Excellence be concerned that you have suddenly decided to seek out for a potential bride?”

“I agree with Sawamura. It has only been two days since the incident on the night of your birthday. This whole excursion may seem extremely sudden and might strike odd with his Highness and her Excellence,” Kuroo elaborated.

“My parents are not aware of what happened, so it won’t be a matter of my safety.” Hajime wasn’t fazed. If anything, he felt the excitement. “However, you’re both right. If I were to tell them now that I suddenly wanted to seek a potential bride, they would think that it is suspicious.”

“Precisely. I think we need to give this a bit more thought Hajime-sama, and–”

“Then, I will tell them the truth.”

Daichi looked at him questioningly. “The truth?”

“The truth…that I already know who I want as my bride.” Hajime felt a fond smile form on his face, thinking about that cute, albeit bratty omega from ten years ago.

“You really want him, don’t you?” Daichi said softly.

The prince chuckled, “I think that much is obvious.” The expressions on the other Alphas’ faces softened. It was at that moment they realised that their prince wasn’t going on a whim. Their prince was truly smitten.

“We will do everything that we can to help you, Hajime-sama,” said Kuroo with a cheeky grin. “What’s the plan?”

“As I said before, I would like to leave in seven days and I will inform my parents the reason of our departure on the day before we leave,” stated Hajime as he stood up.

“The day before?” Bokuto reiterated in surprise. “Seven days is already considered a late notice. Will his Highness and her Excellence be alright with–”

“Leave the explaining to me. If my parents or anyone else asks anything of the three of you, tell them that you were only following my orders,” Hajime stated firmly.  He hoped that his voice made it clear that there was no more room for argument. He knew that the three Alphas pledged their utmost loyalty to him and would follow his orders over the orders of the King and Queen. But Hajime wanted them to also know that he would do anything on his part to protect them too. “Understood?”

“Yes, Hajime-sama.”  Their reply came obediently. The prince took that as a sign to continue.

“Daichi, please inform Ennoshita that he will be performing as captain of my guard in your place during our absence,” he instructed. “Kuroo, Bokuto, please hand over any remaining responsibilities to anyone you trust to conduct them in your steed,” Hajime continued.

“Yes, Hajime-sama.”

 

❀❀❀

 

Kuroo stared at the ceiling of his room. Despite being exhausted, his mind was completely awake. He couldn’t stop thinking about the events that transpired earlier in the night. While he had been surprised bumping into Ushijima in the markets, there was nothing that shocked him more than meeting a face that he hadn’t seen since he was thirteen years old.  

_ Kenma. _

It was him. He had been right in front of him. If Kuroo hadn’t met him in the midst of a mission, he would’ve chased Kenma down and never let him go. He still remembered the day when they had first met.

His Beta mother had left his father for another Alpha. His father had been devastated and was bedridden for weeks. Kuroo didn’t know the exact reason but he had heard his grandparents gossiping one night.

_ “I knew that Beta was no good, but he didn’t want to listen. Now look at what’s happened.” His grandmother’s voice was dripping in venom. “What kind of mother does that to her family?” _

_ “I don’t like this any more than you do, Dear. But all we can do is be there for our son and Tetsurou.” His grandfather’s voice was soothing. _

_ Tetsurou had his ear pressed up against the door to his room. Even though his grandparents were speaking in hushed tones, the walls were extremely thin. Sometimes he could hear his father weeping late in the night. _

_ “How are you so calm about this? She left our beautiful son and grandson because apparently, she needed a  _ **_real_ ** _ Alpha. I’ve never heard such poppycock!” Tetsurou winced at the harsh tone. _

_ His grandfather immediately shushed his grandmother. “Dear, you’re going to wake up Tetsurou.” _

_ “Just because our son is not a warrior doesn’t mean that he’s not a real Alpha,” his grandmother growled. Tetsurou heard footsteps. He assumed that his grandmother started pacing as she continued to rant. Her angry scent began to spread and filled his senses.   _

_ Tetsurou pulled away from the door and jumped right back into his bed, crying himself to sleep. The shock of his mother leaving their family hadn’t truly sunk in until then. _

Everything after that happened really fast. One day his father got out of his depressed state and the next thing Tetsurou knew, they were moving to the capital city of the East Kingdom from their little town.

_ Large golden eyes stared at him. Tetsurou felt his body heat up from nervousness. The boy in front of him was staring at him so intently with such an apprehensive expression. Almost as though as if he were to take a step forward, the boy would have a heart attack. _

_ “Hello, my name is Kuroo,” he heard his father say. “I just moved next door…” _

_ Tetsurou saw the boy’s eyes move slightly but knew that he was still looking at him. He wondered what the boy was thinking. Tetsurou secretly hoped that it wasn’t anything bad. _

_ From that day forward, he had been left at home a lot. His grandparents had taken some jobs to support them as his father began training to be a warrior. Tetsurou didn’t know what possessed his father to dive into combat but he had a feeling it had a lot to do with his mother. _

_ The first day he had been left alone, Tetsurou felt really lonely. In this city, he had no friends. They were all back home. But that didn’t make sense anymore, because…this was his home now. The worst part is that it didn’t feel like one and all he wanted was to go back to his small town. _

_ At some point during the day, his feet brought him over to the Kozume household. When they first came to greet them, the boy’s mother said that he was welcome any time to come over. Tetsurou sincerely hoped that they were home. _

_ He lifted his fist and knocked on the door. He waited for a moment. Then he heard small padded footsteps. When the door opened, it revealed the boy with the big gold eyes. Tetsurou felt frozen to the ground once again. They both stared at each other for a while... _

_ “Hello,” the boy finally said. Tetsurou couldn’t find his voice. It somewhat annoyed him. Why was it so hard to say hello back? He thought to himself. “Did you want to come in?” _

_ His eyes widened in surprise. The boy looked at him questioningly, patiently waiting for an answer. Again, Tetsurou wasn’t able to find his voice, so he opted for a nod. The boy opened the door a bit wider to let Tetsurou in. As soon as he entered the household, the scent of cinnamon and apple filled his nostrils. It was wonderful. It felt warm and cozy. _

_ “Are you just going to stand there?” the boy asked. Tetsurou snapped out of his daze. He realised that he was still standing in the entranceway, the door still open behind him. The boy was in front of him, waiting. Tetsurou quickly closed the door behind him and took his shoes off, bowing his head out of courtesy. The boy started moving and he just followed. _

_ “I’m Kenma.” Tetsurou snapped his gaze up, not even realizing that he had been looking down. For some weird reason, he just nodded. “What’s your name?” Kenma asked, peering over his shoulder to look at him. _

_ “Te-tetsurou,” he stuttered. When Kenma let out a small huff of laughter, Tetsurou flinched, thinking that he was laughing at him. _

_ “So, you can speak,” Kenma teased. _

Kuroo chuckled at the memory. Kenma had been the one to get him out of his shell at the time. When his life felt so confusing at the tender age of eight, seven-year-old Kenma had been his pillar of support.

_ “My father joined the King’s guard.” Tetsurou didn’t know how to feel about that. All he knew was that it didn’t sit right with him. “He’s going to start living in the castle with the other royal warriors in a week,” he murmured, burying his face into his knees. _

_ “That’s good,” Kenma commented. _

_ “Is it?” Tetsurou asked. He didn’t know how to feel about his father moving away from him. Even though the castle is only a twenty-minute horse-ride away, he doubted that his father would have much time to visit him. _

_ “He’s worked hard, hasn’t he?” said Kenma. _

_ “Yeah…I guess so,” Tetsurou mumbled into his knees. There was a lump forming in his throat. His eyes started to sting as he thought about his father leaving him. “It just feels like…everyone is leaving me.” The tears started falling. He felt soft hands on his face, guiding him to look up. _

_ “Your father loves you. He would never abandon you,” Kenma said with conviction. Somehow, that reassured Tetsurou. Kenma was a boy of few words and yet, he always seemed to know the right words to say.  _

 

_ Mustering a grin, Tetsurou said, “Thank you, Kenma.” He let out a chuckle. “You always seem to know how to cheer me up.” Kenma looked away, his lips pursed into a pout. Tetsurou could see a slight red tinge on his cheeks. _

 

_ “I’m just telling you the truth.” _

 

_ Blunt as always, Tetsurou thought. “Regardless, I appreciate it,” he said, leaning into Kenma’s palm. “Thanks for being here. Even though my father will eventually be around less and less, I’m glad I still have you.” _

 

_ “You will always have me.” _

 

And then one day, Kuroo didn’t. 

 

_ “Kenma! Open up it’s me,” Tetsurou exclaimed. “The library is going to close soon. If we don’t leave now we won’t make it!” _

 

_ “Oh, Tetsu-kun.” _

 

_ Tetsurou turned around and saw Kenma’s mother. She had a satchel on one shoulder, where he could see a leek sticking out from the opening and vague shapes of assorted vegetables through the thin fabric. She must’ve been in the afternoon produce market before coming home. _

 

_ “Kozume-san, good afternoon!” He greeted cheerfully. “I was just going to take Kenma to the library.” _

 

_ Kenma’s mother suddenly let out a sob, bringing a hand over her mouth. Tetsurou was suddenly alarmed and rushed to her. “Kozume-san, what’s wrong? Are you alright?” _

 

That was when she told him what happened. Or at least, part of what the real truth was. Kuroo always felt that something wasn’t quite right. Like, there was still a lot of information that had yet to be revealed. But the one thing that gave him hope was Kenma’s letter.

 

_ Kuro, _

 

_ I am sorry I had to leave. But I will find a way back. _

 

_ Kenma _

 

He still has the letter. Kuroo hasn’t looked at it for a long time, but when he had first moved to the castle with his father, he had found himself re-reading it multiple times. It always used to put him at ease while he adjusted to castle life. 

 

That wasn’t to say that Kenma’s leaving didn’t hurt him. It did. A lot. Whenever Kuroo thought about it, he would feel a dull ache in his chest. And the fact that now of all times, after so many years of being apart, Kenma finally resurfaced. 

 

Kuroo let out a loud sigh. It would only be a matter of hours until the sun would rise and then he would have to start his daily duties. By this point of the night, he should really try to get some sleep. Flipping over onto his stomach, he grabbed the two pillows and shoved his head in between them. 

 

After a few minutes, he managed to fall into a slumber.

 

❀❀❀

 

“Kenma.”

 

He looked to the side and was met with Keiji’s concerned expression. “Yes?”

 

“Are you alright?” 

 

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?” Kenma replied indifferently. They had just landed back at the palace grounds, after having their ruk ushered into its stable. 

 

Keiji was frowning. “I called your name a few times and you didn’t answer. Something occupying your mind?”

“No.” Kenma knew better than to lie to Keiji. Though, to his luck, the other man didn’t bother to nitpick. 

 

“I see,” Keiji said. They didn’t speak for the rest of the way to their chambers, aside from bidding each other good night once they arrived.

 

Kenma made his way over to his desk, where a handheld mirror rested. Picking it up, he said, “Show me Kuroo Tetsurou.”

 

His reflection in the mirror changed until it was showing a man, who has his head squished between two pillows. Kenma couldn’t help but chuckle.

 

“He still sleeps like that.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr Account  
> http://chamilktea.tumblr.com/
> 
> Also massive shout out to quickwitted-kiwi on tumblr for helping me solidify loads of things for this fic! MVP <3  
> http://quickwitted-kiwi.tumblr.com


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